William fisher



(No Model.)

W. FISHER.. ooMBINED TOILET PAPER EOL-DEE AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

No. 573,586. Patented DEE. 22,A 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILIIIAM FISHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYNDEN EVANS, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED TOILET-PAPER HOLDER AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,586, dated. December 22, 1896.

Application filed October 28, 1895.

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Be it known that I, WILLIAM FISHER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ina Combined Toilet-Paper Holder and Advertising Device and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to a combined advertising device and toilet-paper holder, and pertains to that class of advertising devices in which a transparency or the like provided with a normally invisible or unnoticeable design is displayed by means of an electric light placed behind it when the device is operated.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby an advertising transparency will be displayed each time a sheet or portion of paper is removed from the holder; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the `appended claims.

The invention will be readily understood, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the toiletpaper holder embodying my invention, a portion of the front wall of the casing being broken away to expose the arrangement of parts within. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l, looking downwardly and showing the inner face of the lower end wall in plan View.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates as a whole an oblong rectangular casing, a portion of the lower half of the front wall A of which is hinged at its lower edge, as at a, so as to open outwardly to afford access to the interior of the box. The upper part of the front wall of the casing is provided with a panel-opening, which is closed by means of a transparency or translucency A3, which may be printed or otherwise provided with any advertisement or pleasing design, and which is normally invisible or unnoticeablc, but which will be displayed when the interior of the casing is lighted, as hereinafter described. Said casing is of proper size and is adapted to receive a roll of paper B conveniently mounted Serial No. 567.173. (No model.)

in the lower end of the box in suitable bearings, the spindle of the roll being preferably extended out through the side of the casing and provided with a turn-button B', whereby the paper may be unrolled.

A2 designates a slot formed in the lower end wall of the casing, through which the web of paper may be drawn from the roll.

A4 designates a clamping-jaw fixed within the lower end of the casing adjacent to the' path of the web of paper in its eXit from the casing, said jaw being preferably serrated or provided with teeth a' ct'.

C designates a detent-lever pivoted between its endswithin the casing, as at c, one end of said lever being arranged to extend outward through the casing and being provided with a suitable thumb-piece c', while the other end extends opposite to and across a movable jaw C', adapted to coact with the fixed jaw A4 to clamp the interposed web of paper.

D designates a coiled spring secured at one end to the lever C and at its other to a xed part of the casing and acting to hold the detent-lever C normally in contact with the iixed jaw A4.

E designates an incandescent lamp arranged within the casing behind the transparency A3 conveniently and as herein shown secured so as to depend from the upper wall thereof.

F designates a contact strip or block secured upon the back side of the lever C and suitably insulated therefrom by means of an insulating-block f, while F' designates a fixed insulated contact-piece secured to the inside of the bottom wall of the casing in position to contact with the strip F when the lever C is forced back to permit the web of paper to be drawn from the casing. From the movable contact-strip F a conductor G leads to one side of the lamp E, while a second return conductor G' leads from the opposite side of the lamp to abinding-post H conveniently located within the casing upon the lower end wall thereof. A third conductor G3 leads from the xed contact F to a second binding-post II conveniently located adjacent to the binding-post H.

Gr* G5 designate supply and return conductors connected with any suitable source of IOO electric supply and leading inward through the casing to the binding-posts H H', respectively.

The operation of the device thus constructed will be obvious, but may be briefly described as follows: lVhen it is desired to withdraw a portion of the paper from the casing, the lever is forced back, thus releasing the web, so as to permit the paper to be unrolled. In pressing the lever back the movable terminal carried thereby is brought into contact with the xed terminal and the circuit thus completed through the lamp, thereby illuminating the interior of the casing and displaying the transparency arranged in the front side thereof. Obviously, as long as the lever is held back in contact with the iixed terminal, the lamp will remain lighted and the transparency visible. Upon the release of the lever, however, the spring D will return the lever to its normal position, thus breaking the circuit through the lamp and securing the paper against further withdrawal.

lVhile I have herein shown what I deem the best embodiment of my invention now known to me, yet it will be obvious that the details of construction may be varied in many respects without departing from the spirit of the invention. limited to the precisedetails of construction shown herein. Inasmuch, however, as the device herein shown is an exceedingly practical and desirable one, it is also made the subject of specific claims in addition to the claims of broader scope.

I claim as my inventionl. A combined toilet-holder and display device, comprising a closed case provided on one side with a transparency, or its equivalent, an incandescent lamp located within the casing and behind said transparency and being connected with a normally open circuit, a paper roll rotatively mounted within the casing, a slot for the passage for the end of the roll from the casing, a fixed jaw adjacent to said slot, a lever pivotally secured to the casing, one end extending through an opening in the side thereof and the other end extending within the casing, a movable jaw arranged to register with the iixed jaw and mounted upon the inner end of said lever, a spring engaging said lever and tending normally to hold the movable jaw against the iixed jaw, a fixed insu- I do not therefore wish to be lated contact or terminal connected to the electric circuit, a contact-terminal located upon the swin ging end of the lever, and a conductor or wire leading from said last-mentioned contact-terminal to the lamp, whereby when the leveris moved from the outside of the casin g to retract the movable jaw and allow the paper to be withdrawn through the slot in the casing, the termin al carried thereby will contact with the fixed terminal and cut in thc lamp, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a case provided at its lower end with a hinged door and upon one l face with a transparency or its equivalent, a

paper roll rotatively mounted within the casing, a turn-button upon the outside of the casing communicating with the paper roll, whereby the latter may be operated, a slot or aperture through the casing through which the end of the paper may be drawn as desired, a fixed jaw with serrated edges located adjacent to said slot, a lever pivoted in the side of the casing, one end of which lever is provided with a suitable thuinb-piece to which access may be had from the outside of the casing, a movable jaw provided with serrated edges adapted to register with the fixed jaw, said movable jaw being secured within the casin g to the free end of the lever, a spring secured at one end to the casing and at the other end to the lever, whereby the movable jaw is normally held in contact with the fixed jaw, an incandescent lamp arranged within the casing and behind the transparency and being connected with a normally open electric circuit, a fixed contact or terminal connected with said circuit located within the casing and insulated therefrom, and a movable contact or terminal mounted upon the swinging end of said lever and connected with the lamp, whereby when the lever is moved to withdraw the movable jaw and allow the paper to be withdrawn through the slot, the terminal carried thereby will contact with the xed terminal and cut in the lamp, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of October, A. D. 1895.

VILLIAM FISHER. lVitnesses:

ALBERT II. GRAvEs, XVILLIAM L. HALL.

ICO 

